At 03:36, sirens sounded in central Israel as the Arrow missile defense system intercepted a rocket launched by Yemeni Houthi fighters. There were no casualties, but significant damage was reported.

By morning, it became clear that Israel had responded to recent Houthi attacks with a series of bombings targeting critical sites in Yemen’s ports and its capital, Sana’a, which has been under the control of the pro-Iranian “Ansarullah” (Houthis) group since 2015.

The first wave of airstrikes began at 03:15, targeting the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Al-Salif. Israeli jets destroyed all tugboats used to guide ships into the ports. This cripples the unloading of various vessels, including tankers, and severely disrupts Iran’s arms smuggling logistics.

The strikes, carried out 1,700 km away from Israel, required mid-air refueling and involved 14 fighter jets, all of which returned safely.

At 04:30, a second wave of strikes hit Sana’a, targeting fuel and oil reservoirs as well as a power station.

The Houthis remain the last members of the Shiite “Axis of Resistance” who have yet to pay a high enough price to reconsider their aggressive plans.